Video Games retail / e-tail sales in U.S. August 2014

Analysis from The NPD Group's Liam Callahan

Overall new physical retail sales (hardware, software, and accessories) increased by 8 percent in August 2014 over August 2013 and followed a similar pattern of prior months with explosive hardware growth driven by eighth generation consoles offsetting declines in software.

Hardware

In August 2014, overall hardware sales doubled from August 2013 caused by an over 200 percent increase in console hardware sales with continued strong sales of eighth generation hardware (which includes Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One).

Eighth generation hardware represented close to 70 percent of August 2014 hardware sales, which is the highest percentage share since the release of the Xbox One and PS4 back in November 2013.

When lining up sales of PS4 and Xbox One after ten months on the market, the combined PS4 and Xbox One hardware sales are greater by over 70 percent compared to their predecessors.

Software

Madden NFL 15 was the number one game this month with consumers adopting eighth generation software over seventh generation, leading to growth over last August's Madden NFL 25 - a trend which will hopefully become widespread and lead to software growth as we move towards the holidays.

New launches in August 2014 declined 41 percent compared to new launch performance in August 2013 due to poor comparisons to August 2013 launches like Saints Row IV, Disney Infinity, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Eight out of the top ten games in August were new launches compared to only 3 in August 2014.

Deep declines in seventh generation software of 57 percent were not offset by growth in eighth generation software, leading to a net decrease of console software sales of $47 million.

August 2014 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)

Rank

Publisher

Madden NFL 15 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)**

1

Electronic Arts

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)**

2

Activision Blizzard (Corp)

Minecraft (360, PS3)

3

Microsoft (Corp) / Sony (Corp)

The Last of Us (PS4, PS3)**

4

Sony (Corp)

Call Of Duty: Ghosts (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC, NWU)**

5

Activision Blizzard (Corp)

Lego Marvel Super Heroes (360, PS3, NWU, PS4, 3DS, NDS, XBO, PSV, PC)

6

Warner Bros. Interactive

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare (360, PS3, PS4, XBO)

7

Electronic Arts

Watch Dogs (PS4, 360, PS3, XBO, PC)**

8

Ubisoft

Battlefield 4 (360, PS3, PS4, XBO, PC)

9

Electronic Arts

The LEGO Movie Videogame (360, 3DS, PS3, NWU, PS4, XBO, PSV)

10

Warner Bros. Interactive

Accessories

Despite a 50 percent increase in Gamepad sales, overall accessory sales declined slightly due to a poor comparison to August 2013 when Disney Infinity launched and boosted Interactive Gaming Toy spending for the month. Therefore, Interactive Gaming Toy spending declined in August 2014, leading to the 2 percent overall decline in accessory sales.

Notes et références

*NPD's monthly point-of-sale data reports on U.S. Games Industry sales occurring from new physical purchases at retail which is the largest channel for games sales, but does not represent 100% of industry sales; it does not account for consumer purchases made via digital distribution, used game sales, subscriptions, mobiles, rentals, or social network games. NPD's Games Market Dynamics: U.S. is issued quarterly and is NPD's official estimate of the consumer spend on the industry and It does include estimates of the size of those other monetization methods.

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)